Lens Metric Scores

Further readings for the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

In this second installment of lens recommendations for the Nikon D810, we’ve been analyzing the best performing models for landscape and wildlife photography. Admittedly when it comes to fast-paced photography there are better choices in Nikon’s range but there’s always a case for high-resolution imagery but the Nikon D810 also serves to highlight the best performing models, and particularly in the longer focal lengths where it’s more common (and often more practical) to use cameras with lower pixel densities.

Nikon’s mid-term refresh of the firm’s hugely popular D800 and D800E models resulted in a single model, the D810. Like the D800E it aims to maximize the resolution of the full-frame 36-Mpix CMOS sensor and omits a modified AA filter completely. We’ve analyzed the image quality of over 100 different lenses mounted to the new camera to discover how well this new model performs.

Aimed at professional studio and landscape photographers, the full-frame 36-Mpix D800E with its modified AA filter effectively increasing resolution over the standard D800 model is the closest 35mm full-frame camera yet to rival larger formats in rendering fine detail. If you’re undecided over which of the two models to choose, we’ve analyzed the image quality of the Nikon D800E with 100 different lenses to discover how well this groundbreaking camera performs.

One of the four lenses announced at the time of the introduction of the Sony A7 and A7R, this high-grade G-series telephoto zoom looks like a promising addition to the range. Read on to find out how well it performs on the 36-Mpix Sony A7R.

Tamron’s latest 70-200mm f/2.8 is the first from the firm to feature image stabilisation (VC or Vibration Compensation, as Tamron calls it) and is now available in with a Nikon mount. After the Canon mount, read on to see how it performs on the high resolution Nikon D800.

Nikon has had an 80-400mm lens in its range for the past 13 years, which it has now updated. This is not just a bit of a tweak though; the new lens is sharper, better corrected for distortion and chromatic aberration and full of new technology. It is also heavier, bigger and more than 50% more expensive – so is it worth it?

Launched in February 2011, the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC APO OS HSM is a trans-standard zoom lens aimed at APS-C camera users. On these APS-C models, the crop factor of the sensor (1.5x on Nikon and 1.6x on Canon) makes it comparable to the 70-200mm focal length on a full frame camera, but arguably with an even more versatile length as they reach a little longer (225mm on Nikon and 240mm on Canon). Featuring a raft of specification acronyms, it promises high performance in a well-priced package, but does the reality live up to the billing?

The annual CP+, or Camera and Photo Imaging Show, takes place in Japan, the heartland of the photography hardware industry. With new lenses covering wide-angle through to extreme super-telephoto and options for all the different Interchangeable lens mounts and camera systems, this year’s show, seemed to be all about new glass for your cameras in 2013. We pick out and preview 11 lenses that caught our eye.

Launched in October 2012, this new lens from Nikon offers a lower cost entry point to the very popular 70-200mm focal length that finds a wide range of uses in everything from sports and wildlife to portraits and social documentary photography. Taking on many of Nikons newest technologies, does the reality match up to the promise?

Fair resource on gear in the Internet

Quite useless without comparison with Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II

It's quite useless without comparison with Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II which, surprisingly, has yet to be reviewed/rated by DxO. What's with the long wait, or worse, DxO do not intend to rate it at all? The Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II is one of the most important lens used by professionals and others, so why no rating? Very, very strange.

First replies for this comment

Re: Quite useless without comparison with Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II

Good remark, we knew that the 70-200 VR II was missing but we did not want to postponed the publication of the 70-200 f/4. The 70-200mm VR II is already planed and is currently measured in our labs, measurement should be able in few weeks.

Re: Quite useless without comparison with Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II

Quote:

Good remark, we knew that the 70-200 VR II was missing but we did not want to postponed the publication of the 70-200 f/4. The 70-200mm VR II is already planed and is currently measured in our labs, measurement should be able in few weeks.

Re: Quite useless without comparison with Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II

Sharpness as a function of camera

If you look at the sharpness of this lens for various cameras, you get:

D600: 18P-MpixD3X: 19P-MpixD800: 20P-MPixD800E: 30P-MPix

I think that these results prove that there is something seriously wrong with the way you define sharpness. There is no way that D600/D3X and D800 are so close and D800E is so above.

For the D800/D800E comparison, I know that you compare the sharpness of the image without any sharpness applied to the picture. It is obvious that a camera with anti-aliasing filter needs (and can handle) more sharpening than a camera without one. Therefore, the comparison is not fair.

I stil don't understand why the D600 and D800 results are so close. It just does not match what you get when you compare a crop of a D800 and a crop of a D600 picture upscaled to 36MP.

First replies for this comment

Re: It will be great

Nikon 1,2,3 stop !!!

Hi I have the 70-200 2.8 VRII course! assumptions and four steps is unmatched by other nikon lens, but does magic on their four steps must add good arm and photographic technique. is that I read the comments in various forums and it seems we buy a wand, if the same thing again, is not better photographer with better equipment, remember that the picture comes in our head and then goes to the sensor.